PCR Test for the Detection of Chlamydiosis

1. Purpose of the test
ADIAVET™ CHLAM.A. REAL TIME kit is intended to detect Chlamydophila abortus using real-time
Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technology from swab and tissue specimen of bovine, ovine, caprine
and equine, as well as from milk specimen of bovine, ovine and caprine.
2. Chlamydophila abortus
Chlamydophila abortus is an intracellulare bacterium whose main target organ is the ruminant placenta
(bovine, caprine and ovine). This bacterium is the agent of abortion (enzootic abortive small ruminant)
and neonatal death. It also represents an emerging zoonotic risk for pregnant women. The disease can
also affect, less frequently, horses, carnivores, rabbits, swine, mousses and guinea pig. Clinical signs
induced by C. abortus infection don’t allow a clear diagnostic.
Detection of C. abortus by cell culture isolation is still regarded as the definitive test; however it is time
consuming and requires cell culture facilities. The most often achieved diagnosis is a bacterioscopic
examination of placental stamp.
The lack of sensitivity and specificity of this method has lead to the development of PCR tests.
3. Description and purpose of the test
This test is based on enzymatic gene amplification or PCR technology.
Amplified products are detected in real-time thanks to a specific labelled hydrolysis probe (5’-
exonulease technology).
The ADIAVET™ CHLAM.A. REAL TIME kit enables the simultaneous detection of:
– Chlamydophila abortus (probe labelled in FAM),
– GAPDH, an internal control of extraction and amplification steps specific from an
endogenous DNA (probe labelled with a fluorochrome read in the same spectra as VIC
and HEX).
Adiagene recommends using this test with DNA purification kits (Qiagen and Macherey-Nagel). Other
purification kits can be used if they have been validated by the user.